‘Yellow’ groups form protest coalition

They know they will be tagged “yellows” who want to oust President Rodrigo Duterte, but the conveners of #TindigPilipinas brushed this off at the launch of the group on Monday.

Instead, they focused their message on calling out Mr. Duterte for leading the “degradation” of the country with his draconian policies.

#TindigPilipinas is a “coalition of coalitions” of different groups seeking to expand nationwide and reach the grassroots, according to one of the conveners, former Civil Service Commission Chair Karina Constantino-David.

The group was launched in San Juan City at Club Filipino, which is associated with supporters of Corazon Aquino, who took her oath there as President in 1986 following the ouster of dictator Ferdinand Marcos in the Edsa People Power Revolution.

Legislators, who have strongly criticized Mr. uterte, are part of the coalition. Senators Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan, Risa Hontiveros and Antonio Trillanes IV and Representatives Teddy Baguilat, Tom Villarin and Gary Alejano attended the event.

Seat with shawl

A seat with an aquamarine shawl was reserved for detained Sen. Leila de Lima, considered the first political prisoner under the Duterte administration.

“We lay the wrongdoings we see around us on the doorstep of the President. We also recognize that he is not doing this alone and that there are many others helping him along on this destructive path for whatever motives. But the end result is the same: national degradation,” #TindigPilipinas said in a statement of unity.

“We must overcome fear and apathy. We must summon our heritage of courage. We must speak out and unite in protest over the wrongs being committed,” the group said.

#TindigPilipinas will gather on the campus of the University of the Philippines in Diliman, Quezon City, and at the office of the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) on Sept. 21, the 45th anniversary of Marcos’ declaration of martial law.

At the CHR office, a monument of human rights lawyer and former Sen. Jose “Ka Pepe” Diokno will be unveiled.

Diokno was among the opposition leaders arrested and detained after Marcos declared martial law on Sept. 21, 1972. During the early years of the Corazon Aquino administration, Diokno headed the then Presidential Committee on Human Rights.

His daughter, Maris, said it took 14 years to organize and unify groups against martial law. “It will not be the same today. Today, we are all united,” she said.

The conveners were also prepared with an answer to the likely yellow-tagging: It will not stop them from coming together to protest Mr. Duterte’s policies.

“We know that anyone who criticizes the policies of the President are called yellows. That should not stop us from coming together,” Alejano said.

“I am not a [member of the] Liberal [Party], but I have been called yellow. What is important here is that we are not afraid,” Alejano added, with the crowd of some 300 people applauding and cheering. The Liberal Party is the party of former President Benigno Aquino III.

Alejano said he was asked if #TindigPilipinas was formed because the Office of the Ombudsman was set to file charges against former President Benigno Aquino III.

“I said no because if President Aquino had made a mistake, he should answer that or face the charges because he can defend himself. We are not doing this for only a few. This is for the country,” Alejano said.

Aquino’s former Cabinet members, like Teresita “Ging” Deles, Edwin Lacierda, Mel Sarmiento and Bro. Armin Luistro, are also part of #TindigPilipinas.

In its statement, the group said the country was “being led down a dark path filled with violence, contempt for law and hate; where honest debate is not only shouted down, but every attempt at sobriety in public discourse is dismissed with threats.”

It called out the Duterte administration for the drug killings, the hate speech, the weakening of democratic institutions, and the erosion of the nation’s security and social stability, among others issues.

Polarized

“Instead of being a voice of reason, our country has been polarized, notorious for its imprudence and recklessness, our communities paralyzed in fear,” the group said.

Like the Movement Against Tyranny (MAT) launched a few weeks ago, #TindigPilipinas did not categorically mention the ouster of Mr. Duterte.

A youth member said the group would focus on “calling out the excesses of government” and urge the people to speak out against the drug killings.

The group will also call for transparency in government transactions and seek an investigation of smuggling at the Bureau of Customs.

120-Year-Old Woman Shares Her Secret to Living a Long Life

As humans, most of us only live up to a certain age. In fact, the World Health Organization (WHO) claims that the average life expectancy of a human being is up to 71.4 years. However, there are people who are lucky enough to live their lives up to 100 years old.

One woman though recently just celebrated her 120th birthday and is now sharing the secret to her long life.

According to the Guinness World Records, the oldest person ever reached the age of 117 years old. Sadly, the woman, named Violet Mosse-Brown, passed away on September 15 which is why the title for the oldest living person has been transferred to 117-year-old Nabi Tajima of Japan. Recently though, the GMA show “Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho” featured a woman who claims to be currently 120 years old.

Francisca Susano, or more commonly known as “Lola Isca“, celebrated her 120th birthday on September 11. She was born in 1897 and is currently residing in Negros Occidental.

The woman is said to be older than the declaration of the Philippine Independence itself, which was ratified in June 12, 1898. Aside from the country’s sovereignty, the 120-year-old woman is also older than the teddy bear, the airplane, and the traffic light, which were invented in 1902, 1903, and 1912 respectively.

According to the report, Lola Isca could still play the silindro (a musical instrument similar to a harmonica) despite her old age. She is also still capable of dancing to her favorite tunes and still has a sharp memory as if she were only in her 30s or 40s. The old woman claims that being a vegetarian is the secret to her long and fruitful life.

Lola Isca is now the oldest woman in Kabankalan City in Negros Occidental. Even though she isn’t the official holder of the oldest person title, she might actually be the oldest person living in the world as we speak.

Buhay ni Juliana Palermo matapos iwan ang buhay showbiz na kinagulat ng lahat

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Did Ellen Adarna party with Big Bang's Seungri in Bali?

News of Ellen Adarna and Korean pop star Seungri meeting in Bali, Indonesia circulated online, following posts from netizens showing the two together.

Some netizens posted on Twitter photos of Lee and Adarna together.





Adarna has been posting photos of her vacation in Bali with her friend, Doreen Ting, on her Instagram account.





She also posted a photo of her with American rapper Big Sean.





On the other hand, Big Bang's Seungri, or Lee Seung-hyun in real life, was believed to also be in Bali with friends, based on his friends' Instagram updates.




Although Adarna has yet to confirm meeting Lee in Bali, her friend, Ting, posted a photo of her with Lee, with the caption: "No more haters please!!!"

Abused OFW from Kuwait admitted to mental hospital

A Filipina domestic worker has been admitted to the National Mental Hospital upon her return to the Philippines after she experienced intense trauma and abuse while working in Kuwait.

"She can be categorized as a distressed worker, so may nangyari talagang pang-aabuso sa kanyang karapatan" said Administrator Hans Leo Cacdac of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) in a report by GMA News' Mark Salazar on "24 Oras" on Friday.

The report said Cacdac visited the OFW, who is from General Santos City, at the National Mental Hospital on Friday.



"Yung National Mental health doctors, they will look into her situation and condition," he said, adding disability, medical and livelihood assistance will be given to the OFW.

A video posted on social media showed the visibly traumatized Filipina unable to talk properly with her fellow passengers on her flight home.

The report said the Filipina appeared fearful, and hinted at the physical abuse she suffered in Kuwait. Her fellow passengers were seen trying to calm and soothe her.



Cacdac said the Filipina's case would be endorsed to the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) and the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) for the possible filing of case against her employer in Kuwait.

Even the Filipina's recruitment agency could also be held liable for neglect over what happened to her, the report said.

Citing OWWA data, the report said the OFW was just one of the estimated 400 "welfare cases" or abused Filipino workers in Kuwait — big number considering that there are over 300,000 Filipinos in the Middle Eastern country.



Following the execution of OFW Jakatia Pawa last month, the Philippine government is mulling a temporary stop in the deployment of Filipino domestic helpers in Kuwait.

"Both the DFA and DOLE (Department of Labor and Employment) are mulling the situation, mulling about the possibility of a moratorium. So I'll leave it at that because that's their decision to make," Cacdac said.

Lucy Torres-Gomez’s vote on CHR budget questioned by netizens; Richard Gomez goes on defensive

Netizens took to Rep. Lucy Torres-Gomez’ Instagram page to ask her about her vote on the budget for the Commission on Human Rights (CHR).

Last Sept. 12, the Lower House voted 119 to 32 to give the CHR a P1,000 budget, a blow to the agency which protects Filipinos from state abuses to their civil and political rights.

A list of the 32 representatives who voted no—meaning that they agreed to the proposed P649.484 million budget of the Commission—has since been released.

Torres-Gomez, who represents the 4th district of Leyte, was not included in the list of the 32.

While a list of the 119 is unavailable, netizens have taken to asking their own representatives on their vote.

Netizens commented on her latest Instagram post, which was to celebrate Mother Mary’s birthday, to ask her about her vote.

“Sana hindi sya isa sa 119 na bumoto kase kakapanghinayang (I hope she isn’t among the 119 who voted because that would be regretful),” said one Instagram user.

“You owe your constituents and the public an explanation. We pay for your salary,” read another comment.

While the former actress did not respond to comments, her husband, Richard Gomez seemed to do so on her behalf.

Netizens were able to capture a comment that Gomez later deleted. It stated, “The congressmen voted for what is good for their own districts. That is why they are also called representatives, they represent their own districts.”

He also lashed out at commenters: “Ano ba ang distrito nyo? Ano ba ang pinili ng congressman nyo? Sana tumakbo na din kayo para yung ingay nyo sa social media dun nyo dalhin sa kongreso. (What’s your district? What did your congressman choose? If only you could run for office so your noise on social media would be in Congress.)”

This only caused netizens to wonder why the mayor was defensive over a yes or no question.

“I don’t know why you’re upset… I think Lucy is her own woman and can pretty much defend herself for whatever decision she chose,” noted one Instagram user.

One commenter added, “She is a congresswoman and we deserve transparency from her…Don’t say we’re just making noise…We just really deserve to know.”

“‘Wag po kayo nagagalit wala naman po masama magtanong (Don’t get angry; there’s nothing wrong with asking),” said another.

Another assumed what his tone meant: “The fact na defensive kaand both of you can’t quite declare to the public the yes vote implies guilt.”

An Instagram user asked for “enlightenment” and also explained why netizens took to social media to address politicians: “Did she vote yes? If so, why? Di naman naghahamon ng away mga tao (People aren’t asking for a fight),” read the comment.

They added, “Social media lang ang pinakamadali naming channel para marinig kami. Kaya wag kang magagalit kung dito namin inilalabas ang saloobin namin (Social media is the easiest channel where we can be heard, so don’t get angry if this is where we let out our sentiments).”

As other legislators have clarified their stance, Torres-Gomez remains mum. She has also voted as part of the majority in favor of martial law in Mindanao and the death penalty.

7 strange animals ever seen

You might think you’ve seen the world over, under, around and through, but there will still be wonders that will make your eyes pop. Even if you’re a dedicated animal enthusiast, you can’t honestly expect to know all of the 1,367,555 non-insect animal species, that are identified on the face of Earth today! Besides, new animal species might be discovered by the time you finish reading this text, so there will always be some new surprises for us out there.

Here's 7 creature you didn't seen in your daily life

1 Red-lipped Batfish



Found on the Galapagos Islands, this fish is actually a pretty bad swimmer, and uses its pectoral fins to walk on the bottom of the ocean.

2 Goblin Shark





This rare shark is sometimes even called a “living fossil”, “is the only extant representative of the family Mitsukurinidae, a lineage some 125 million years old.” Goblin sharks inhabit around the world at depths greater than 100 m (330 ft), with adults found deeper than juveniles. Given the depths at which it lives, the goblin shark poses no danger to humans.

3 The Panda Ant



The Mutillidae are a family of more than 3,000 species of wasps (despite the names) whose wingless females resemble large, hairy ants. Found in Chile, they are known for their extremely painful stings, hence the common name cow killer or cow ant. Black and white specimens are sometimes known as panda ants due to their hair coloration resembling that of the Chinese giant panda.

4 Glaucus Atlanticus





Also known as the blue dragon, this creature is a is a species of blue sea slug. You could find it in warm waters of the oceans, as it floats on the surface because of a gas-filled sac in its stomach.

5 Mantis Shrimp



Also called the “sea locusts“, “prawn killers” and even “thumb splitters”, this is one of the most common predators in tropical and sub-tropical waters; little is known about them, however, because of how much time they spend hiding in their burrows.

6 Venezuelan Poodle Moth





Discovered in Venezuela in 2009, this new species of alien-looking moth is still poorly explored. Waiting for more info about them!

7 Sea pig



Scotoplanes live on deep ocean bottoms, specifically on the abyssal plain in the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Ocean, typically at depths of over 1000 meters. They are deposit feeders, and obtain food by extracting organic particles from deep-sea mud.